I’m not sure at what point I first decided that I liked art, or even if I decided. Every child creates paintings when they’re little that are cherished by adoring parents. But for me it became something serious, naturally.

One of our early childhood homes was situated on the main strip of the arts center in Christchurch. We lived directly across from the creative hub, and every weekend there would be markets and stalls selling crafts.

I would sometimes have a stall of my own, dragging our coffee table onto the curb infront of our house, I would string up paintings like a washing line and sell them for 20 cents each. And people bought them. I wonder if any of those pictures survived and are hanging on strangers walls somewhere…

Though it can be terrifying initially, I love when people consider and discuss my work. I enjoy hearing people interpret what they think it means to them. That my work might strike debate or evoke feeling in others. For me, is such a high.

When I started High School I picked up art as a subject. I was ecstatic to be able to spend school time painting, and to get marked on it. I was young and naive and thought I was pretty good. Ahhh the naive bliss. I was not the best in the class, not by a long shot. It was my first insight into competition, and that there was a whole world of artists out there, who intended to make it as I did.

High School art improved my technique, making me think about light, and proportion, and not to shade by smudging. It opened up the world of movements, and periods in art to me. And highlighted different artists styles, and consequently made me question what mine was.

And it taught me that art is subjective, and will not necessarily be appreciated by everyone. Your teacher may not like your work, not because it is bad, but because they personally do not like it.

Something I’ve learned about myself it I tend to shy away from conflict and confrontation, I find it hard to tell people what I really think, but I find I can do this much better through art.

My work is about my insecurities, my fears, my wishes. Depset feelings that you don’t quite understand yourself until you map it out on paper. I attempt to show another side of myself, one that doesn’t always make sense, one that perhaps isn’t as likeable.

For a long time I thought establishing ‘my style’ was important for my image as an artist. But now I’m enjoying exploring new mediums, and allowing my work to grow and evolve.